Stellaride Episode Inserts - Season 6
by RT219
Summary: One Shots written for each episode - written for the Stellaride Pairing
1. Season 6 Ep 19

I was asked to do some ONE SHOT stories from each episode as they come... All I can say is, I'll see where my muse meanders to and from during the eps...

So this first one is from Season 6 Episode 19 "Where I Want to Be"

I would have thought that I'd go for something at the very beginning or at the end... but it was the Cartel House Fire that caught my muse's attention...

so here's hoping you enjoy it.

* * *

"Where I Want to Be"

Kelly had his arm wrapped around Stella's shoulders, hard with the double thickness of his Turnout coat and hers. The hallway was thick with smoke, rolling flames breathing through the walls and licking at the ceiling above their heads. There was no way he was going to let her go.

"Breathe, Stella…"

She nodded her head a little, her hand still holding the mask on her face.

"Keep breathing."

Stella tried to pull it away from her face, pushing it in his direction.

"Don't even try," he managed to laugh, keeping his peripheral vision on the open door up ahead and the rest making sure that the hallway was clear enough to exit.

On the front threshold of the house he watched Capp and Tony set the woman they were carrying on the gurney between Dawson and Brett. Once they were clear of the house he turned back and saw Cordova bringing up the rear, carrying the gear that Stella had discarded in the hallway.

He pulled her up short, stepping off to the side. "Hey," he touched her chin, nudging her up to meet his eyes, "hey."

She blinked at him through the mask and pulled it away. "Yeah?"

"How do you feel?" He tried to push the mask back over her face. "Honest. Don't be brave."

"I'm good. I-" her shoulders shook as she started to cough and Severide didn't have to work too hard to get the mask back over her face.

"Don't argue with me." He turned and activated his radio. "Call another Ambo. Smoke inhalation."

Chief Boden's voice crackled over the speaker. "Victim?"

"Stella."

"All right." The Chief's radio call went silent.

Kelly turned back and leaned closer to her, lowering his voice. "Let's set you down somewhere."

She shook her head. "I need my gear. We have to put out the fire."

He grabbed her shoulder and shook his head in response. "You inhaled a bunch of smoke."

"Kelly, I-" The next wave of coughs hunched her over and she would have lost her hold on the mask if Kelly hadn't taken it from her and adjusted the fit. Her hand grabbed his arm and she gave it a squeeze. "Okay." She grumbled. "Fine."

Kelly moved Stella passed the fence and sat her down on the hood of a police car. He stayed close, even after she took hold of the mask again.

Chief Boden was there moments later. "What happened in there?"

Kelly explained the situation with Cordova and the trapped victim, the Chief absorbing every word, nodding along the way.

"Stella?"

She pulled the mask away and tried a breath on her own. "Yeah, Chief?"

"I'm not going to say I'm exactly happy that you went in without your gear-"

"The door-"

"I know," he held up his hands to stop her from speaking, "I'm not arguing. But I'm also not expecting an argument when the Ambo gets here." He looked up at the sound of the siren. "Which should be here in minutes. Until then, I don't want you going back in there."

Kelly felt her shoulders slump under his reassuring hand. She certainly didn't like sitting out.

"Yes, sir."

The Chief walked away to speak to one of the officers on duty, leaving them alone.

Stella tentatively pulled the mask away again and gave him a smile. "Happy?"

"I'd be happier if you put that back on."

She drew in a breath from the mask and held it out to him. "I'd be happier if you'd take one too. We were both in that fire, Kelly."

" _We_ ," he corrected her, "didn't crawl into a vault with no exit for all that smoke. _You_ were the one who crawled in there to get a victim out."

"And _you_ ," she pointed at him, "would have done the same." Stella took another breath from the mask giving him a look, so he'd know she was doing it for him. "It's not my fault that you were too big to fit through that hole."

"Big?"

"Muscular," she corrected, giving him a look that spoke volumes, "and I'm _not_ complaining."

"You like my muscles," he gave her a narrowed look, "just this morning you were saying… or was that screaming that-"

"I said I wasn't complaining, but I was able to fit inside and so I did. You understand, right?"

He stepped closer, pulling off the glove from his right hand and lifting it to her head. His fingers brushed back the hair from her face. "I understand that I hated every second you were in there. I hated that I couldn't see what you were doing and I couldn't hear you.

"But I knew you were doing your job and when you called out for help to get the victim, I knew you were thinking of her first. Just like you always do."

She smiled and took in another breath. "And if I'd been trapped," she rushed on so he wouldn't worry, "you would have done everything possible to get me out. Just like I'd have done everything I could if you were in that situation too."

His thumb traced under her jaw and she lifted her face up to look at him as his hand slipped around to the nape of her neck. "We make a pretty good team, Kidd."

Her smile was more of a smirk when she answered back. "We make an excellent team, Severide."

He leaned a little closer. "That's Lieutenant Severide."

Stella's eyes opened wide and her lips parted before the corners turned up in a smile. "Lieutenant, huh?"

Kelly shrugged a little. "You're lucky I don't make you salute."

She gave his chest a little shove as the Ambo pulled up beside the police car. "You're lucky if I let you in bed tonight."

It was his turn to stare at her wide-eyed. "We're at the station tonight."

Stella shrugged. "Yeah. I'm sleeping in the Lieutenant's quarters, so much quieter. You… you can take my old bed."

The paramedics gestured for Stella to walk over and she got up from the hood, Kelly taking her arm gently.

He leaned closer as they moved. "That's my bed, you can share… even if you don't salute."

"That's big of you, Severide."

She sat on the bumper of the Ambo and offered her arm to the EMT for her blood pressure.

He stepped back and watched the two EMTS move around her. "That's what you always say."

As Stella looked up to gape at him he turned on his heel and headed back to the house to finish with the blaze.


	2. Season 6 Ep 7

Season 6 Episode 7 A Man's Legacy

The problem with having as many windows as he did, it was hard to shut out the outside noise. Especially when he left a few strategic windows open.

He heard a car drive up into the parking lot on their side of the building. Dropping his legs off the side of the bed he walked to the windows and looked down. He didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him, his bedroom was dark, all the lights off.

Oh, he hadn't exactly been sleeping. He'd been plagued with images of Stella in that dress. Tiny shoulder straps, that fabric that begged to be touched, the slit… that slit should be illegal in public.

Letting out a pent-up breath he heard one car door open and then the other.

"Come on, Stell… you're suppos'd to let me open your door for you."

"You're supposed to be sober when you drive."

Kelly stepped to the other window to get a better look. Whatever his name was had to use a hand on the hood of the car to keep his balance.

He saw Stella manage to swing her legs out of the car and grab onto the frame. Her legs looked incredible in the lights around the parking lot, long and curved up toward her hips, disappearing into her dress.

"Come on, baby." He made a grab for the door but ended up almost closing it on her.

Kelly swore under his breath. If the asshole started to get handsy-

"I told you," Stella had her hand on the door, pressing it outward and using it like a barricade while she got up out of the car.

Turning away for a moment, Kelly tried to avoid staring down the neckline of her dress. It was likely too dark to see anything, but he wasn't a perv. He wasn't so sure about this 'radio guy.'

"Come on, Stella. Give me another kiss."

Kelly leaned so close to the windows he felt the cold glass against his forehead.

Stella had her back up against the car, her hand against the man's chest.

Mitch. The name was suddenly in his head.

"I never gave you a first kiss, Mitch."

See? At least now he knew the asshole's name for the police report when he kicked his ass.

Pulling away from the window, Severide didn't even bother looking for his shoes. Shirtless and wearing his long cotton sleep-pants, he started for his bedroom door.

"Mitch, I said stop."

"Hey-" a loud thud brought Severide back to the window and he looked down into the half-dark parking lot.

Mitch was doubled over the hood of his car, his face pulled tight in a grimace. "What the hell did you do that for?"

Stella bent down to pick up her purse from the ground and Kelly saw her dress pull tight around her backside. Yeah, these cotton pants weren't going to do a thing to help hide exactly what she was doing to him.

She stood back up and gave Mitch a look that he knew all too well. You don't piss off Stella Kidd. Not if you want to live for long. "I told you no. You didn't listen. You got my knee. If you'd like I can call an ambo for you, but they're going to ask why your balls are tangled up in your intestines. So that'll mean a call to PD. And I'm sure there's at least one reporter listening to the 911 calls tonight, who'll want to know why 'Mitch in the Morning' got his nuts cracked by a woman who didn't want him slobbering all over her."

There was a strange silence that fell over the parking lot and Kelly felt like he could almost hear Mitch's breath hiss out from between his lips. "Just leave me here to die."

Stella drew in a breath and then let it go on a sigh. "Good choice, Mitch. Good night. And if you see me at the gym, stay the hell away from me."

"No problem… oh god that hurts…"

"Suck it up, Mitch." Stella walked away from the car. "I could have used my heels."

#

Kelly had a few minutes to decide was he was going to do. Stay in his room, or go outside and check on her.

He was debating when the apartment door opened and he heard Stella drop her keys on the table beside the door, and before he knew what he was doing, he was walking out into the living room. "Hey."

She looked up at him and put a smile on.

He really hated it when she did that. He liked it when she wasn't trying to pretend.

"Hey, Kelly, did I wake you?"

His lips pressed together and he shook his head. "No. I was…" he looked at her and said the first thing that came to his mind, "thirsty."

"Okay," she smoothed a hand over her dress in a nervous gesture that didn't seem to fit her normal personality. She was tentative, and almost unsure of herself. "Well, I should get some sleep."

She took a few tentative steps away and he couldn't help but watch the swish her of hem over the back of calf, almost to her knee. Why did she have to be so-

"Stella?"

She stopped and turned back. "Yeah?"

"You look amazing in that dress."

The slightest of smiles touched the corners of her mouth and her face was transformed from melancholy to sweet and heart-breakingly beautiful?

"Thanks."

She smoothed a hand down her hip and over her thigh it was a sub-conscious gesture, he was sure of it, but it drew his eyes and tugged open the slit so Kelly got more than an eyeful of the toned length of her thigh.

He had to pull his gaze away or this little late night meeting was going to get real revealing in ways he wasn't ready for.

"You, ah," he nodded toward her bedroom, "going to turn in?"

She shrugged. "I guess so." Her gaze moved over his face. "You?"

He shrugged, unable to take his eyes off of her. "I could get some sleep."

"Okay."

She looked away and turned toward her room and Kelly almost groaned out loud, every time she moved the moonlight coming through the window painted every single one of her curves in silver light. He was going to have a hell of a time getting any sleep tonight.

"Kelly?"

"Yeah?" He let out a breath in relief, his voice was almost even.

"You think you can help me with my zipper?"

Does he think… dear god this was torture! What had he done that put him the firing line of this kind of karma?

She walked closer and turned her back to him, lifting her hand she swept her hair forward over her shoulder to leave her back bare. The zipper started in the middle of her back, just south of her shoulder blades and ended down at the lower curve of her back.

"Kelly?"

"Yeah-" his voice was more than a little strained, "I got this."

He pinched the zipper between his fingers and pulled it down. This wasn't a normal situation for him. Sure, he'd pulled down his share of zippers in his time, but doing this for a woman he wasn't about to sleep with, was making him all kinds of nervous.

Inch by frustrating inch, he felt the zipper give-way and his knuckle was so close to her skin he was sure he could feel her warmth even though he wasn't touching her.

As he fought to keep his heartrate from going through the roof, he couldn't help but focus on two important facts: 1) Stella wasn't wearing a bra and 2) when he finished, bottoming out the zipper, there was a very good possibility that she was wearing a something black and silky on bottom.

Yeah, there was no way he was getting out of this without making a total fool of himself.

"All done?"

Her voice was so soft and almost purred from her lips.

He was definitely going to hell.

"Yeah, yeah…" he let out a breath, "I'm done."

Stella looked back over her shoulder and smiled. "Thanks, Kelly. 'Night."

She walked straight to her room, her hips swaying slowly, her hair slowly fanning across her back, and the moment before she turned the corner he saw one of those ridiculously skinny straps slipped off of her shoulder and nearly dropped him to his knees.

It was a long while before he could make his legs work and even when he got back to his room, he laid awake half the night replaying every second over and over in his head.

Stella might be working her way through the single assholes of Chicago, but the only woman on his mind… was her.


	3. Season 6 Ep 6

Season 6 Episode 6 "Down is Better"

She could feel it all slipping away.

Molly's was supposed to be a refuge, a place for friends. And Sylvie had brought Hope… again.

Sylvie who was mad at her. Sylvie who could barely meet her eyes across the table. And Hope wasn't about to look at her either. No, Hope had her eyes on Kelly.

Stella slipped a glance in Kelly's direction and found he was staring at Hope. Again.

Otis stopped at the table to bring their drinks and she picked her drink off of the tray and had tossed it back before Otis emptied his tray. She set the empty back down with a thud. "Bring me another one, Otis."

"Stella-"

"Thanks, yeah?"

He shrugged and walked away from the table back toward the bar. "Sure, Stella. I'll bring it over in a bit."

She blew out a breath. "Tomorrow's going to suck, big time."

"Hey," Kelly put his hand on her arm and she turned to look at him, "don't worry so much, It-"

"I agree," Hope chimed in with a big fat grin on her face, "imagine all the new things you'll learn. Why, you'll be just like me, starting over in a new job, making so many friends!"

"I like the friends I have," Stella was almost mumbling under her breath. "51 is my family. I don't want to go anywhere else." Stella made the mistake of looking up and saw Sylvie's uncomfortable wince as she hurriedly avoided Stella's gaze.

"Just think of it as a brave new world," Hope's giggle was just so high-pitched and vapid. It set Stella's teeth grinding together, but no one else seemed to notice.

And while Stella stewed over her the way everyone seemed to stand just a little further away than normal… a little more reserved… a little distant… Hope just seemed to exude sunshine and cheer.

It just wasn't something Stella could do at the moment. Not when her life was falling apart piece by piece… over a waterfall.

Grabbing onto the table top to keep herself fixed in place she grabbed the drink in Otis' hand and dropped it back just like the other.

And the world just swam around her and she felt like she was caught up in the riptide.

#

Kelly let out a breath after he'd managed to put Stella safely into the passenger seat of his car. Thankful a moment later when he'd turned back to see her trying to climb over in the driver's seat, making him reach in through the window and grab a fistful of her waistband and put her right back where she belonged.

From there it was the forcible stretch of her seatbelt with one hand while he fished for the other end to buckle her into. It didn't help that she squirmed in her seat and parts of her that he hadn't touch in a long time brushed against his arm.

And her throaty giggle didn't make the incidental contact any easier.

"Such a gentleman," she sighed and reached up a hand to pat the side of his face before sweeping the soft pad of her thumb over his bottom lip, "you're a good man, Kelly Severide. The best."

"Right, Stella. You just sit still, okay?"

"Sure…" she wiggled into the seat, making him very uncomfortable as she made herself comfortable, "even though you always liked it when I moved." He almost tripped over his own feet as he walked around the car to his door. "Thank goodness," she giggled, "that I kept that little nugget in my head and didn't say it out loud."

This ride home was going to kill him.

Getting Stella out of the car and back into their apartment was either going to earn him a place in heaven of in a circle of hell that hadn't even been discovered yet.

She was certainly in a touchy mood. His back, his arm, his shoulder.. and a light glancing blow over his ass. He was starting to hurt and his hands itched to return the favor… favors.

But he kept repeating the same words over and over in his head. _She's drunk._

She leaned on his shoulder and gave him a heated look from her hooded eyes.

 _She's drunk_.

She wrapped her arm around his and traced her fingers up to the sensitive inside of his elbow, playing over his nerves like the strings on a guitar.

 _She's drunk_.

And as he fumbled with the key in the door, she leaned against the wall, murmuring into his ear. "Need a hand with that, Severide? I've got two good ones."

 _She's drunk_.

And then they were inside their apartment and she was just one step behind him, turning on a light that he'd already turned on, and then curling into him, her hand on his jacket.

And then her lips were on his.

Again and again.

And he wanted more, but-

 _She's drunk_.

And he wanted to silence the voice in his head telling him to back away, but he wanted her. Wanted this so bad. Wanted to kiss her so she'd understand what all of her 'playing' had done to him all night long, but he still heard-

 _She's drunk._

So the words out of his mouth were, "Not like this."

And then he saw her eyes.

Saw the confusion. The pain.

He'd made the right choice and it cut her the wrong way. And he was still going to hell because everything below his shoulders was ready to feel her tight against him, over him, under him… yes, hell.

He moved away, one foot in front of the other, determined to keep moving until he was safe in his bedroom. It made sense even though he was going to be kicking himself all night long.

The door shut behind him and he heard the finality of the heavy clunk and the click of the mechanism. Listening carefully he didn't hear her footsteps moving off to her room, so he wasn't going to get a chance to go back out and get a beer, not if she was still out there.

Dropping his coat down on a chair he reached for the buttons on his shirt and started prying them out of the buttonholes before reaching for the button on the waistband of his jeans.

Shoes, gone. Shirt, gone. Pants on the floor beside his bed he barely had the energy to flop down on the sheets and roll onto his back.

She'd kissed him. And even drunk, Stella Kidd knew how to kiss. Knew how he liked to kiss.

And he knew how he liked her… every way possible.

And he wanted to go back out there and explain, but he knew she'd turn her big brown eyes on him and pout that gorgeously plump lip and he'd be lost, because yes, he wanted to do the right thing, but he was also a man who had been dangerously close to loving her before.

And so he stayed.

In his room.

Keeping Stella outside the door.

Because…

 _She's drunk._

And he just realized he wanted more than just one night... and he wasn't sure where to go from here.


	4. Season 6 Ep 20

Season 6 Episode 20

Stella sighed and stretched her legs in the cab of the Firetruck playing solitaire on her phone waiting for a notification that the newest episode of House 29 was finally uploaded on Amazon Prime.

"Come on," she groaned and looked over at the gym. She was sure that Bria was having a great time. After all, when they'd arrived, she'd bet more than fifty people spilled out of the gym to gawk and stare as Bria and her date arrived at the prom. It was awesome to see, but hanging out and waiting for the prom to finish… well, it was just a lot of time alone… and bored out of her mind.

She restarted the game, wondering how many more times she'd have to play before she was able to watch the new episode.

A soft knock at the passenger side window, jerked her upright in the seat. Climbing over to look out the window, she grinned and clicked open the door, pushing it gently open. "What's this? A spot check, Lieutenant?"

Once he had the door she pushed back off the passenger seat and waited for Kelly to climb in.

"Sort of," he smiled, "I went by your apartment and didn't see your car."

"Awww," she grinned. "Were you worried about me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe." But he pulled his phone from his pocket. "I was driving past the House and saw your car. Figured something was up. Casey and Dawson were outside talking about the prom and Casey told me he'd given you an assignment."

She shrugged. "You know me… anything for a party!"

Silence fell between them in the cab and Severide gave her one of his looks. "Right. Party."

"To be honest," she leaned closer, "I'm so glad you came, I'm about to go out of my mind with boredom."

"You didn't want to go inside and dance?" His laughter was contagious.

"Naw… I did't want to embarrass the girls when I shook it on the dancefloor."

That got her a raised eyebrow. "Come to think of it. I don't think I've seen you dance before."

"Oh?" She gave him a little smirk. "Your loss, Severide."

"I'd say so," he leaned back against the chair, "I guess I'll have to take you out dancing one night."

"You guess?" Her whole face lit up. "If you take me dancing, be prepared to be amazed. The moves that I know," she laughed, "you'll like them. I can promise you that."

Kelly swallowed and let out a breath. "I'm sure I will."

"And I'll get you out on the dance floor too."

Kelly held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry, no. Just not my thing."

"Come on, Severide. You'll like it."

"No," he shook his head, "I won't. And you can't make me."

"Way to go adulting there, Severide." She laughed, "but I bet you I can."

"I'll take the bet, Stella."

"Pretty confident there?" She grinned and held out her pinky. "I can get you on a dance floor and you'll like it. Winner's choice on the prize."

His lips pressed together as he considered her words. Finally he reached out his hand and linked their pinkies together. "Easy win. And I know what I want."

"Oh?" She sat back in her chair and smiled. "What's that?"

"When I win," he told her, "then I'll tell you."

"Nice one," she chuckled, "but I guess it doesn't matter, since I'm going to win."

"Why are you so sure that you're going to win?" He laughed at her and pulled off his jacket, laying it folded over the dash.

"You want to know?"

He nodded.

"Okay," she agreed, "we have another two hours before the prom is over. Close your eyes."

"What?" He leaned back and gave her a look full of suspicion. "Why?"

"Because," she sighed, "I asked."

Shrugging, Kelly closed his eyes and settled in. "Go ahead."

"All right, one sec…"

Just before he lost his patience and opened his eyes he heard soft music coming from the main console. Stella and her ipod. That woman loved her music.

"Okay, so we're out dancing and you're the stick in the mud standing off to the side, drink in your hand, barely moving."

"Stella, I-"

"Shhh… you asked. I'm telling. And so far, I think I'm pretty spot on." She went silent for a moment.

"Okay," he sighed, "I'm somewhere holding up the wall."

"And you see me on the floor and you can't help yourself. You start walking."

She ignored his smothered cough.

"And that's when the music changes. It's slow, it's got a great beat, and yeah, they dim the lights." She lets the music continue for a bit. The rhythm is slow and he can almost hear the physical bump of the beat along his skin. "And then it feels like it's just you… and me… and really, that's all there is, Kelly.

"Your hands on my hips. My hands on your chest. I lean in and brush a kiss on your neck and your turn and you can feel my hair against your cheek.

"And then your hands are lower, wrapping around, pulling me closer until…"

"Until?"

He felt her hair on his cheek, but before he could react, he felt her settle over his lap and his eyes snapped open.

"Until we're pressed up against each other."

He cleared his throat. "Careful."

She leaned back a little to look at him and he felt her settle even more against him and his body had 'no' problem with that. None, what so ever.

"You worried someone's gonna see?"

"Aren't you?"

She shook her head as she picked up his hands and reached them around until she placed them on low on her back. "We're on the far side of the cab from the gym. There's nothing on this side of the truck but shrubs and trees." She laughed. "And while your mind might be a little concerned, there's at least one part of you that's really enjoying this little fantasy of mine."

And boy, Stella wasn't kidding. And she wasn't playing fair, shifting ever so slightly against him, she made him groan. "Fantasy, huh?"

She laughed and set her hands on his chest. "You feelin' okay, Severide? Your voice is kind of… strange."

"I'm fine." Yeah, his throat was almost strangling off his voice.

"You don't sound fine."

"Come on, Stella," he had to work to swallow as leaned closer, inch by inch, "I'm fine."

"Sounds like you're a little out of breath, Severide."

"I'm fine." He gasped in a breath as one of her hands smoothed over his shoulder. "I'm fine."

"Really? Are you the Medic in this relationship?" She didn't even wait for an answer. "I say you need a little mouth to mouth." She sank down a little bit more on his lap. "So just sit there and let me work."

"Sure… yeah."

The last thing he saw was her mouth turned up in a sexy smile as her hand slid around to the back of his neck.


	5. Season 4 Ep 18

Season 4 Episode 18 - On the Warpath

Wow…Molly's could get warm. It was one thing when she was in a worn pair of jeans and a top, but this dress? These heels?

Stella walked out onto the back patio of Molly's and was actually surprised to find that it was empty? With the strings of lights in the trees it would have been a perfect place to disappear to if someone was in the mood to enjoy the overflow of love that a wedding usually brought with it.

But hey, she wasn't going to argue at having a little time to herself. It had been strange enough when they seated her next to Kelly for the wedding and then it had been strangely comforting with Cruz, Herrmann, Brett, and Jimmy sat down at her table and goaded Kelly into telling their story. Even more so when Kelly turned it onto her. If she and Kelly had been left alone on the table, she might have completely embarrassed herself.

So, she'd told a whopper. Rappelling from the roof, a rose in his mouth… Singing Sinatra? Good Lord! Thank God Kelly laughed right along with everyone else.

He almost seemed to enjoy himself.

There's one hurdle down. The last thing she wanted him to do was feel like he had to avoid her.

Sitting down on one of the benched, she took off her heels and stretched out her legs with a soft groan. "Oh, that's nice… that's very very nice…"

"The view's not bad from where I'm standing."

Stella's breath caught in her chest. Her skin went hot. Her throat tightened. And all the rest of her, well.. it reacted how it did whenever she heard that voice of his. She was silent and strung as tight as a bow.

Kelly Severide. The man. The myth. Her late night fantasy.

She heard the door close behind him and his careful steps across the flagstones.

"This bench taken?"

Stella swallowed. Taken. Ah, the miracle of how quickly her brain could take a simple word and turn it into a double entendre. "No," she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the subtle squeak in her voice, "no, it's just me out here."

She could almost hear him shrug.

"Sounds like you found the right place to disappear to."

"I wasn't," she knew her tone was a little forced, "trying to disappear."

"Sure." He sat down beside her. "Still, I turned around and you were gone. I was hoping that you didn't leave."

Whoa. Okay.

"Oh yeah? Did you have something you wanted?" What? "I mean, was there something you… nevermind." She faced straightforward and hoped he couldn't see the uncertainty in her eyes. So much for calm and cool. She'd promised herself she wouldn't make a fool of herself.

"Stella?"

She could almost feel his eyes on her face. Breathe, Stella, breathe.

"Yeah?"

"That was a pretty good story you told in there."

"Pretty good," she turned back to him, "that story was awesome! Admit it."

He gave her mock-serious look of consideration before smiling. "It was okay." He fended off her elbow. "Hey, come on… you know the first version of the story is the one they're going to tell."

She shrugged. "Then they'll know it's fake. Because Kelly Severide doesn't do grand gestures like that."

"I should be insulted." His laugh told her otherwise.

"Whatever. Besides you don't need to make a big deal out of something to make an impact."

She caught the curious look in his eyes before she turned away again. Down, Stella.

"What's that about?"

Blowing out a breath, Stella forced a light smile on her lips. "Just what I said. That Tactical Training Course, remember-"

"How could I forget?"

Her cheeks were so hot she was amazed he couldn't see it. "Well, you know how to make an impression just by being around."

"I did? How?"

She turned toward him, rolling her eyes. "Fishing for compliments, are you? No, seriously. It was good having you there. You didn't mind me asking you questions. That was a refreshing change from my House at the time. If I asked anyone questions it was just confirming for them that I wasn't fit to wear the uniform."

He shook his head. "That's ridiculous. You knew your stuff. It was easy to see that you were born to do it. I had no idea that's what it was like for you."

She shrugged. "I kept it close to the vest. I didn't want to make a bad impression."

That got his attention, damn it. "You wanted to make a good impression on me?"

She coughed and tried to fight down a blush. "Well, it seemed like I made one… a good enough impression that you broke into my house." She let her smirk loose.

And it was his turn to look a little off-kilter.

"Just what were you thinking would happen that night?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth she wanted to take them back. Lord knows she'd thought about a lot since she split with Grant. But if he actually said what he was thinking and it was… not what she'd hoped for… did she really want to lose her favorite 'What if?' fantasy?

And then it was too late to take it back.

"Well," he leaned back against the table behind them, stretching out his legs, "I had already had a few and I got started thinking."

"You do your best thinking on a few?"

He shook his head. "Apparently not," he laughed, "but it got me off my ass and into my car. I guess I wanted to know if what I was thinking was real or if I was just blinded by you."

Holy-

"You were a distraction during that class. To this day, I'm only half sure I know what I was supposed to learn. I wasn't used to feeling like… I'm not used to working that well with someone I've just met. During the team exercises I was expecting the pull the weight of the groups that I was in. Most people sit back and wait before they act, but when you were on my team it felt like you and I were on the same page. I'd turn to get something and you were there. I'd start to ask for an option and you had a solution for it and they were good solutions. It felt like we'd been working together"-

"For years." She smiled. "So it wasn't just me."

He shook his head. "No, it wasn't just you."

She looked away and nodded. "Good. To know."

"And I wasn't just saying it earlier, Stella. I'm glad you're at 51. I just don't know how much of a chance we'll get to work together with you on Truck-"

"And you on Rescue?" She nodded. "True enough, but I'm we'll have a chance someday. After all the best guy I ever knew was on Rescue."

"Oh? Who's that?"

She bit her lip. Did Kelly Severide just get jealous? Lord, she hoped so.

"It was a long time ago before I was a firefighter. He helped me out of a tight spot. He's the reason I'm still here to talk about."

The tight line of his shoulders eased and he nodded. "That's good," he smiled, "if we ever meet the guy on duty, I hope you'll point him out so I can shake his hand."

Wow. What a man.

"Sure… if we do, I'll let you know."

Silence fell between them for a moment and they could actually hear the music playing inside.

"You," Kelly cleared his throat, "are you going to go in and dance?"

She looked at him. "I'm fine out here, but if you want to-"

The door swung open and Cruz looked out with a smile. "Hey, Mouch and Trudy are heading out, come on in so we can send them off."

Kelly got up and waved at Cruz. "We'll be right in."

Stella slipped one shoe on, but she had to fiddle with the strap on the back of the second one. When she looked up she saw Kelly watching her.

Wow. Those eyes.

"You ready?"

She heard the words but her mind took them somewhere else entirely. Oh boy, was she ready.

Standing up from the bench, she followed him to the door.


	6. Season 6 Ep 19a

S 6 E 19

Set after they found the body in the wall at the Cartel house and before Cordova goes to see Casey at home

* * *

Rescue made it back to the house before Truck, because Kelly told them to step on it and was the first to jump out once they were on the Equipment Floor.

When Truck pulled in, he was waiting by the driver's door and gave Stella a hand out. Well, a hand that managed to slide under the bottom of her Turnout Coat. Earning him a soft smile from her. "You coming inside?"

Kelly gave her a smile of his own. "In a few minutes. Go on in, I'll come find you."

She wrapped her hand around one side of his suspenders and gave it a playful slap. "You better."

When Stella was past him he watched the others pile out of the truck and head inside. The last one out was Cordova. And when Cordova tried to walk past him, Kelly got in his way.

Cordova gave him a look and a blow-off smile and started to walk around him, but Kelly planted his hand flat over his sternum.

"Wait."

Looking down at the hand on his chest, Cordova tried to laugh it off. "Got a problem, Lieutenant?"

"I'd like to have a few words with you."

Cordova didn't need a bigger sign than that. "What's the problem?"

"You." Kelly went straight for the heart of the problem. "For a man who says he wants to prove himself as a firefighter, you've done a piss poor job in my eyes."

Cordova's laugh was a little tight. "Hey, we just proved I was right." He gestured out toward the road. "There was a man in the house."

"There was a firefighter you were supposed to work with. You walked away."

"It ended up okay-"

Capp stepped in between the two, his hand on Cordova's shoulder, pushing him back. "Wrong answer, man."

"Stella was fine, you guys got her out, she didn't need me-"

Capp felt Kelly push on his shoulder trying to get to Cordova, but by the size of the man pushing Kelly back, it was Tony that had gotten into the mix.

"She needed you to do what you were told. Your Captain," Kelly barely ground the words through his teeth, "told you to stay with Stella."

"Look," Cordova pushed off Capp's restraining hand, "if this is because she's your hook up-"

"Oh shit," Capp stumbled away as Kelly pushed past him and grabbed Cordova up by the edges of his Turnout Coat and shoved him up against the front grill of Truck.

"Lieutenant." Tony had a handful of the back of Severide's Turnout Coat in his hand. "Don't."

"Get off me," Kelly shrugged and Tony stepped back with his hands in the air.

"Stella isn't my hook up. And if that's how you think about her, you've got no business working-"

"In this house… yeah. I've heard all that, Kelly."

"She's a firefighter, asshole!" Capp wasn't pulling his words.

"She's one of us." Tony put in his two cents.

"Yeah, sure. We all know she's good. She handled herself just fine, got extra help when she needed it. What did it matter if I was in there?"

"The reason you're even here," Kelly was barely holding it together, "is because two of our firefighters went into a house together, ammunition trapped in the fire shot them both. Stella was lucky and lucky for Otis, it was Stella up there with him. She stabilized him enough to move, extract him from the house."

Cordova shrugged. "You were up there too."

"At the end. She could have done it herself. The point is if Otis had been alone. If Stella had walked away. He'd be dead. You don't get it, do you?"

"Otis was lucky. Your girlfriend's a decent medic. Are you trying to tell me to watch myself around her?"

"I'm just wondering if you know why you've been floating for so long?" Kelly's question hit home.

"I just wasn't a fit."

"And now Casey wants you around. That's on him. I'm just telling you that if you pull this again, with anyone at 51, and I'll find a way to kick you from the house. The fact that this was Stella makes me want to take you apart piece by piece and throw you to animals at the zoo.

"But yes, she's good, she's really good and you left her alone in that house. What if she'd been cut off? What if there were more people in that house? Cartel members with guns? By the time we found her she could have been dead.

"But hey, that doesn't mean a damn thing to you. You were going to prove yourself. Save the ghost. And make it back in time to help Stella out. You're not a superhero, Cordova, you're a glory seeking asshole who's going to get someone killed someday if you don't change your act."

Kelly shook his head and leaned just a little bit closer. "You know what the best thing about that could be, Cordova?"

The taller man suddenly looked a smaller by comparison. "What would that be, Severide?" Everyone ignored the clipped tone of Cordova's voice.

"That person you'll kill, may just be yourself." Kelly let his words sink in before he took a step back, closing ranks with Capp and Tony. "But if you do this kind of thing to Stella again, make no mistake, I'll kick your ass."

Tony nodded. "We'll bury your body."

Capp smiled. "I've got a great place to dig the hole."

They left him alone to think.


	7. Season 6 Ep 21

So, I looked up the restaurant that Sev mentioned for their date and it turns out that Sev has STYLE...

* * *

Season 6 x Episode 21

Stella gave herself one last look in the mirror, turning slowly one way and then the other before letting out a deep breath. "Okay then. I guess I'm ready."

The downstairs door banged open and she heard Herrmann shouting up the stairs. "Hey, Kidd? Your car is here!"

"I'll be right there!" Picking up her clutch, she left the bathroom and grabbed her up coat from hook before locking her door and heading down the stairs.

Herrmann and Annabelle were standing just outside the door when she stepped out into the chilly night air.

"Wow, Stella." Annabelle's gasp was 100% pure girlish admiration. "That dress is so pretty!"

Stella smoothed her hand over her hip. "Thanks, Annabelle. I got it yesterday."

"Oh," Herrmann leaned up against the wall, folding his arms over his chest, "this is the fancy date with Severide?"

"Wait, what?" Stella looked at him with surprise on her face. "Who told you-"

Herrmann gave her a wink. "Stella, honey, if you make a date standing in the kitchen of a firehouse, be prepared for everyone to know about it, like two minutes later."

Annabelle nodded. "Wow, you always tell me not to gossip, Dad!"

"Uh, excuse me?" Stella turned to look at the car idling in the street. "You're the one waiting for a ride, right?"

Stella shrugged. "Yeah, that's me. Sorry."

Waving goodbye to Herrmann and Annabelle, Stella walked over to the Uber and didn't mind how much the drive stared, or the low whistle under his breath as he closed the door for her.

#

Kelly looked up at the waiter as he approached the table. "May I get you another drink while you wait?"

Kelly shook his head. "She's on her way and I'll wait for another drink until then. I'm almost regretting taking the table ahead of time. I should have walked in with her."

The waiter was a gentleman at least a decade older than Severide and his smile said he understood. Leaning a bit to the side he gestured to the door. "You still have a pretty good view from here. I'm sure she'd like it you stood when you saw her. The ladies like that kind of old fashioned respect."

Kelly nodded. "Thanks."

The waiter turned back took look and saw a few of the valet boys rush down the steps. "Is she beautiful? Not just 'to you' but truly beautiful?"

Kelly flushed at the though. "Yeah, she is."

"Then I think your lady is here and right on time."

Leaning to the side, Kelly saw someone dash for the door and yank it open, his eyes glued to the dark night outside.

"Well," the waiter sighed, "you were certainly telling the truth. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Kelly didn't see where the man went, he couldn't have turned away if his life depended on it. Stella walked into the entry way and stopped when yet another man stepped up to take her coat.

And when she reached up to take off the coat, Kelly found himself unable to breathe. He knew that black wool coat of hers. It was classic and just the right length, but the dress under it… the dress was new.

And amazing.

The deep scoop-neck that was cut down the center for a few inches and lined in a black edging and held together with a metal clip that winked in the soft light of the entryway. What the rest of the dress did for Stella's figure-

It fit like a glove. No, not the kind of gloves they used in fires. This dress fit like a soft leather glove, contoured to every curve and nip of her body. It ended at her knees and when she turned to talk to the hostess, he saw a slit up the side that ended at the midpoint of her thigh.

And he knew every inch of that gorgeous thigh… the other one too.

He remembered what the waiter had said and got up on his feet, folding his hands in front of his body. Sure, it was something he always did with his hands, but there were sometimes when it was a helpful gesture and this was one of those times.

He saw Stella turn and smile at him and he felt his heart tighten in his chest. The look on her face… the way her expression could transform when she looked… at him. It was humbling and it make him feel ten feet tall.

And when she started walking to him, he kept his eyes on that face. That gorgeous face.

He heard the soft murmurs as she moved through the first part of the room. He saw the heads turn and the conversations stop. Stella Kidd was a head turner any day of the week, but dressed up in her heels and a dress with her hair falling over her shoulders in a soft cascade of waves, she was mesmerizing.

"Hey," he was surprised his voice was even working at that point, "you certainly know how to make an entrance."

She gave him a little frown. "I'm not late, am I?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I was just talking about those valet boys tripping over themselves to get to you."

Stella flushed to the roots of her hair. "I didn't notice. I was looking for you."

"I'm right here."

She nodded and leaned closer to trail her fingers down the lapel of his jacket. "You sure are," she sighed and a mischievous light winked in her eyes, "and you look amazing."

"That's what I was going to say," he laughed.

"Then find your own," she laughed back. "And while you're thinking about it," she stepped closer and he got the hint, pressing a kiss to her lips before lowering his lips to take her bottom lip between his for another. "Wow," she whispered as she leaned back, "that's some kiss."

"That's some dress."

"Flattery," her voice lowered and almost purred from her lips, "will get you everywhere."

"I'd settle for some time alone later."

"That," she acknowledged, "could be arranged."

Kelly saw the waiter coming back and gestured to her chair. "Here, let me get your chair."

He saw the light in her eyes and heard the gasp of air on her lips, and as she stepped toward the table to sit in the chair that he was holding, he held his own breath. The dress looked great from any angle, especially when it was wrapped around Stella's body and her incredible backside.

Biting the inside of his lip to distract himself from the view, Kelly eased her chair in until she was seated at a comfortable distance from the table, but Kelly knew he wasn't going to be comfortable for quite a while, but he was willing to suffer as long as the reason across from him, was Stella.

He was barely in his chair when the waiter arrived with a smile on his face. "I see that she found you."  
Stella smiled up at the man. "It was easy," she leaned back in her chair, "I just looked for the hottest guy in the room."

The waiter turned to Kelly. "You should keep her."

Kelly nodded, but he turned back to Stella before he answered. "That's the plan."

Handing them each a menu, the waiter took Stella's drink order and left the table. Stella opened the menu and took one look at the prices and folded the menu closed again.

Kelly looked up at her. "What's wrong?"

"We don't," she paused for a moment, "we don't have to eat here, Kelly."

He leaned closer, bracing his forearms on the edge of the table, "Stella, relax."

"Have you seen the menu?" She stared back at him with a pointed look.

"I know what it's like here, trust me." He saw her hesitate and barely held back a laugh. "It's our first date, let me treat you to one of the best places in town."

Stella's shock gave way to a big grin that softened her eyes. "Our first date?"

"Unless you count the fundraiser that I talked you into. I'm pretty sure that this is our first date." He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "So relax and enjoy it."

"Is that an order, Lieutenant?"

He knew there was a smirk on his lips. "I can make it one if it means you'll keep smiling like that."

"Being here with you has me smiling like this."

He felt her squeeze his hand. "Then I think we'll need to do a lot more dating."

Stella smiled even wider. "I like the sound of that."


	8. Season 6 Ep 13 - Hiding Not Seeking

6 x 13 – Hiding Not Seeking

Someone knocked at the door. Kelly looked at the clock on the DVD player. It was coming up on 10pm, kind of late for a visitor, but that usually meant family business.

"Hey, Stella-" he stopped short. Stella had dozed off and he didn't want to wake her.

Gently, he lifted her legs and slid down to the end of the couch and half climbed over the arm so she could stay asleep.

Another knock at the door grated on his nerves. He started toward the door, hissing under his breath. "Someone better be bleeding."

At the door, he undid the lock and swung the door open. "Zach?"

The Hazmat Captain shifted from one foot to the other and looked away before looking back at Kelly. "Hey, uh, sorry so late, but I went by Molly's and Stella wasn't there."

Kelly waited for him to continue, his arms folded across his chest.

"So, I was hoping that maybe Stella was home?"

Looking back at the couch, Kelly felt a muscle tick in his cheek. Just when he thought they were done with Hazmat Zach, here he was on their doorstep. "Look, Zach, she's home but-"

"Just a minute," Zach jumped on the idea, "I just need to talk to her for a few minutes and-"

"She's sleeping. We had a long shift with all the bomb activity and we stayed in to get some rest, she fell asleep while we were watching a movie-"

"I know what you've been going through, but I really need to talk to Stella. I said somethings today and I don't know if she told you but-"

"You broke up with her."

Zach paused mid-thought. "Yeah."

"So what else do you have to say to her?"

It took a moment for Zach to look at the room beyond Kelly's shoulder and then back at the Lieutenant. "Maybe I'll just wait and call her tomorrow."

The idea tasted like vinegar on his tongue. "So you're taking it back?"

Zach paused again and then started talking. "Are you… I guess I need to ask… are you… never mind." Zach shook his head. "I shouldn't have come. Look, don't tell Stella I stopped by, okay?"

Kelly couldn't help the sigh of relief that left his lips.

Zach took a few steps away and then looked back over his shoulder. "You do see it, right?"

Narrowing his gaze at Zach, Kelly drew himself up to his full height and stared back. "See what?"

"Wow," Zach shook his head, "you really don't. That's just messed up."

"Look, Zach-"

"I don't know how you two got so messed up that both of you don't see what the other is thinking, but do yourself a favor, Severide. Open your eyes before it's too late."

Zach walked off down the hall, leaving Kelly watching after him until he opened the door to the stairway at the end of the hall.

Closing the door behind him, Kelly set he lock and went back to the couch.

While he'd been gone, Stella had stretched out and from head to toe she'd nearly taken up the whole couch all by herself.

"Great, you couch hog." Stella mumbled something in her sleep but didn't move.

Kelly wasn't ready to call it a night and he really didn't want to wake her up when she looked so comfortable. He probably should have left well enough alone, but the short conversation he'd had with Zach had his mind stirred up.

Crouching down, he sat his hip on the very edge of the couch and worked his hand between Stella's neck at the pillow, pulling out the pillow and sliding under her head a few seconds later.

A frown pressed a crease between her brows and Kelly held his breath, hoping she'd stay asleep. There really wasn't an explanation that he could think up for why he'd just settled Stella's head in his lap beyond temporary insanity.

And yet there he was, his fingers gentle brushing errant strands of her hair from her face, looking down at her lashes where they lay on her high-cheekbones.

Stella was a force of nature when she was awake, but asleep… she was achingly beautiful. And he felt it, right square in his chest.

She stirred and he held his breath. "Kelly," he waited for her eyes to open, but she just sighed, her voice slow and dreamy, "I'm cold."

God, what wouldn't he do for this woman?

Reaching back over the seatback, he tugged down the blanket and draped it over her, pulling it up to her shoulder he watched her tuck her knees up toward her chest and cuddle under the blanket, reaching her hand up, she wrapped it around the loose fabric of his shirt and held on.

"Stella?" He was fairly sure she was dead asleep and unaware of what she was doing, but it didn't make it any easier for him. Not when his mind kept straying back to what Zach had told him… 'do yourself a favor, Severide. Open your eyes before it's too late.'

Closing his own eyes on a long sigh, Kelly waited for the dread to start in his chest. It was too soon, he'd told himself for a long time, it was too much to care. It left him too vulnerable to the kind of emptiness that he never wanted to face again.

He wasn't ready.

He didn't want to be ready.

He wasn't going to let himself feel like that again.

She shifted and her cheek rubbed against his thigh, her hand tightening around his shirt. Before he could stop himself, he lifted his hand and brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

"Just when I think I know where the ground is, Stella, here you are, shaking me up."


	9. Season 6 Ep 12 - F is for

Season 6 Episode 12 - F is for…

Somewhere in the back of his head he remembered some random article that he read… a while ago, saying that they'd interviewed all of the people that survived jumping off of the Golden Gate Bridge and that about ¾ of the way down, they'd realized that all of their problems were suddenly not to crazy horrible.

Well, he didn't jump off of the building to kill himself.

He'd jumped off of the building to live.

And his three-quarter moment wasn't a change of heart, it was the realization that he'd made a lot of stupid mistakes in his life.

And just before he hit the water, boots first on fucking frigid day in Chicago, he realized that all of those mistakes revolved around one person…

Stella.

As he dropped into the water, sinking like that stone his Turnout Coat and equipment made him, the regrets began to line up in his head.

How nice of them to wait their turn and not crowd around his ears screaming at him.

Stella, who he'd kept at arm's length after the problems with Grant.

Stella, who had dedicated herself to make sure he made it through the bone marrow donation with a smile.

Stella, who'd encouraged him to try with Anna.

And then was there with her comforting presence after Anna… died.

Stella, who watched him leave Molly's with a parade of women who were only too happy to help him drown his sorrows with not a single expectation of more than just a one-night stand because he couldn't feel the heart that beat in his chest anymore.

Stella, who'd watched him make a mistake with Hope and then suffered the consequences of Hope's bunny-boiler tendancies with her head held high and that crazy awesome determination.

Stella, who'd kissed him and then lied about remembering.

That he'd let stand because, while he didn't know it at the time, he'd been just that stupid and that much of a coward to press for more when she was sober.

Stella, who he'd watched walk out of their apartment time after time to date some poor schlub that had no chance of understanding how lucky they were to spend even an evening with her and that crazy beautiful smile.

And Stella, who'd saved him again and again and again. Burning buildings, hospital stays, and what he'd been sure was his last chance at love.

And damn, as the pressure of the water pushed on his ribs, cutting off only his ability to swallow more river water, the only word that he could think of was – Stella.

And then the regret eased up. He'd helped Zach. Zach who asked her out. Zach who actually took her out on dates. Movies.. dinners… made her feel… the way he didn't.

And Zach…. He'd be there for Stella.

He'd be there…

He felt like he was floating, everything around him quiet and still.

Was this really how it was going to end?

It would be okay, or at least he thought it would.

Boden would say something about him and then he'd get out the letter. Take out his letter from the file and give it to… Stella.

What would she think of that stupid letter? With all of its casual comments about friendship and what to do about his stuff. Stupid stupid letter. There should have been more to it, but he hadn't even begun to consider… what was blaringly obvious now.

That his letter should have said so much more.

Stella, you're the best.

Stella, what would I do without you.

Stella, damn you're so gorgeous you twist me up inside.

Stella, somedays I want to strangle you but I always want to see you smile…

And give me a hug.

And hold me close.

And save my damn life again.

And again.

How was she going to remember him but that stupid, ridiculous letter?

Something lifted him up and yet he couldn't open his eyes to see, he certainly couldn't speak with the water in his lungs, but he wondered if his mother's faith was enough to send him up to heaven… since he was certainly floating.

And the next regret in his head was that he couldn't have just one more time to look into her face, her amazing eyes and say how sorry he was for messing things up… for waiting to say something… anything.

"Kelly… Kelly…"

Whoever was in charge of the afterlife had a horrible sense of humor. The voice hovering over him… sounded a lot like Stella…

The afterlife was going to suck if every day was going to be a reminder of what he'd lost.

"Kelly…"

Oh, go away and stop the torture…

"Speak to us, Lieutenant."

Cruz? He tried to speak and felt water push out of his lungs, sputtering past his lips.

And when he looked up, through the haze of blinding light, all he could see was an angel… Stella… hovering over him.

And then he realized, he couldn't be dead, because feeling Stella Kidd sitting on him, straddling his hips made him think of things that they might not have allowed in heaven… then again, maybe they might because being loved by Stella Kidd was his idea of heaven.

And when they got him on his feet and he felt like he'd coughed half the river out of his lungs, she was in his arms, holding him close, giving him 'that look' that said he was crazy stupid. He'd take it from her, because…

Zach wrapped her in a blanket and pulled her into his arms.

Zach fussed and worried over her, making sure she was warm.

Zach who'd swept in and stolen Stella when he'd had his priorities messed up… and now?

Well, Kelly knew that if Zach stepped up and made her happy… he'd just have to suck it up…

Or maybe not.


	10. Season 6 Ep 22 - One for the Ages

**I'm playing fast and easy with the rules on this.. I didn't enjoy the interruption to this scene so I took her.. I mean.. I took IT OUT

* * *

They'd barely sat down at Molly's when Stella looked across the table and smiled. "Let's play a game."

The corner of his mouth curled up in a sly grin. "I'm not going to play _whirlyball_."

She rolled her eyes and sat up, away from the table, sending her wavy curls back over her shoulder giving him a great view of the bare skin from her neck down her toned and graceful arm. "Not that kind of game," she sighed. "You think I wore this to do that?"

This. That sinfully amazing black dress that reminded him of just how amazing her body was in… or out of her clothes.

"I think you wore it," he smiled even more, "because you know how good you look in it and you're just trying to torture me in front of our friends." He saw the barest of blushes on her cheeks and knew he'd come close to her plan. "So, what kind of a game?"

She shrugged and again his eyes were drawn to that sexy shoulder of hers. "A guessing game."

"Guessing?" He winced a little. "Is this one of those 'How Well do You Know Your Girlfriend' quizzes in Cosmo? Because if it is, I don't think they have questions in it like, 'How Amazing Does She look in Turnout pants?"

Her long-suffering sigh was one of his favorites. "That's not the game." She gave him a hard stare when he tried to interrupt again. "You have to guess… What color underwear do I have on under this dress?"

Kelly was so glad he was sitting down because there weren't enough people in the bar to cover exactly how well he liked the idea of finding out the answer to that question. "So," he leaned on the table and moved his cold bottle of beer away from his arm, "what color _are_ you wearing?"

"I'm not going to tell you," she laughed at his pointed look. "The whole point is that you have to guess the color."

He had to admit, the question alone was fun, but there had to be more than just a guessing game. Stella always had a little something more about her… in this case… it was trouble. And heaven help him… he liked her kind of trouble… a lot.

"What do I win if I guess right?"

He watched her and waited for the answer.

Her eyes softened a little, the fine arches of her eyebrows lifted just a bit, her mouth… that amazing mouth… lifted a fraction at the corners. And when she spoke, her voice had lost the playful tone she'd had only moments before and had lowered just enough to remind him of late nights in the dark with her lips teasing his ear.

"You," her eyes warmed even more and filled with just a hint of challenge, "get to take it off."

He stared at her lips for a little longer than he should have, but he had to wait until enough blood rose up into his head to string together the right words. "I like this game."

She leaned on her side of the table and gave him a half-smirk. "I had a feeling you would."

He looked at her dress and the bare shoulder. "I'll start with something basic… black."

She shrugged and then shook her head. "No, sorry."

Stella picked up her beer and took a long sip, turning slightly to listen to the music.

"Hey," Kelly looked at her waiting for her to look back at him.

Slowly, she turned. "Hmm?"

He gave her a little pout. "That's it?"

"You tried. You got it wrong. Game over."

"No," he leaned forward a little more, "I want to guess again."

She considered his words and then shook her head again. "Those aren't the rules, Kelly."

He reached across the table and took one of her hands in his. "Then change the rules, Stella. I want another chance."

Looking up at the clock she gave a thoughtful little pout as she considered the hands and their placement on the face. "Okay," she told him and held up a hand for him to wait, "in twenty minutes."

By the time they'd left Molly's and Sev bundled Stella into his Mustang and drove her back to her apartment, he'd tried: Red, Green, White, Yellow, & Purple.

Each time she'd given him this wide-eyed look and then shrugged. "Nope."

As he followed her up the stairs to her apartment, he couldn't help himself. He kept his gaze fixed on the generous curve of her hips and the seductive sway of her perfect backside as he struggled to think his way through Stella's lingerie drawer. What color had his missed?

Stella stopped at the top of the stairs and then reached out an took hold of his hand, pulling back his cuff to see his watch. "One more?"

Kelly felt a bit of his frustration bubble up to the surface. "You're telling me that if I don't guess what you're wearing that I don't get to come in?"

She turned slightly and gave him an amazing side view of her body in that sexy dress. "Make it closer than the last one and maybe I'll give you one more after this for good behavior."

His eyes narrowed at her. "What would you give me if I'm bad?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Nope, not gonna distract me."

Kelly blew out a breath and made a Hail Mary pass. "Lace." Then he tried to add something and make his chances better. "Something see through."

Her laughed turned more than a few heads in Molly's and her looks kept a few of them turned in their direction. "That's not a color."

His head hung forward and touched his chin to his chest. "But please tell me I was close? Closer?"

Reaching into her clutch, Stella pulled out a key and pushed it into the lock. Once the door swung open she turned to look at him with her eyes wide and smiling. "Come inside. You get one more guess."

If she had said no, his last-ditch effort would have been the guaranteed heart attack he was going to suffer if he didn't get to see what he'd already missed more than a handful of times.

Setting her clutch and keys on the table she walked over in front of wall mirror.

He saw the look in her eyes and followed her, standing just behind her and off to the side enough to look over her shoulder and into the mirror.

"So, how close was I?"

She shrugged and then laughed when he reached for her. She dodged his hands in one direction and then before he could try again she took of his hands and set it on her hip.

Kelly moved the palm of his hand over her hip in one direction. When his thoughtful look turned into complete confusion, Kelly set his other hand on her hip and repeated the gesture.

When he met Stella's eyes in the mirror, he slid both hands forward and felt the edge of his thumbs trace the impossibly high curve of stitched elastic edging.

He knew what color it was, he'd seen it in her laundry hamper at his apartment. "It's you," he grinned, "it's nude."

He saw the triumphant look in her eyes as she pressed her full lips together and nodded. "The correct term," she sassed him, "would probably be 'skin tone.'"

Kelly held her hips still as he stepped up behind her and gently pulled her closer until every spare inch of their bodies that could possibly get closer… was. "I like your skin."

Stella's voice was barely a whisper, deeper than her normal tone. "I like yours too," She reached back and laid her palm over the muscled length of his thigh. "I like pretty much every inch of you, Kelly."

He leaned forward, placed a slow kiss against her neck, and felt her pulse jump just under her skin. "So…" he felt the vibrations of his voice against her skin, "I'm waiting for my prize, Stella."

Turning a coquettish look to the mirror, Stella reached up along her side and found the hidden zipper pull. With a whisper of sound it loosened the fit of her dress and with a shrug of her shoulder, sent the dress on a slow, graceful fall to her feet.

Kelly was fairly sure that he'd stopped breathing.

Stella stood before him in a pair of black stiletto heels and a sinfully cut skin-toned G-string that left literally nothing to his imagination.

Just the way he liked it.

Stepping closer he retraced the high-hip cut edges with the tips of his fingers, watching her reflection in the wall mirror. Hooking his fingers into her waistband, he gave it a little tug and slid it down an inch until it was riding on the fullest part of her hip. He grinned at her. "You know if you wanted me to get you naked, all you had to do was ask."

She shrugged his mouth went dry. "I wanted it to be a little fun for you."

Biting into his lower lip, he crouched down toward the floor in a slow descent. When his hands were inches from the ground he felt her hand settle on his shoulder to keep balance as she lifted one foot and then the other to step out of her underwear.

"Well?"

He looked up at her and couldn't help the half a dozen physical reaction his body was going through just looking at her body. Once he got his hands back on her, he was going to return the favor.

All night long.

He smiled, and he saw her confusion plainly written on her features.

"Well what?"

She gave him a heated look out of the corner of her eyes. "Did you enjoy my little game?"

Tucking her underwear into the pocket of his slacks he laughed when he saw her wide-eyed outrage directed at him. "Any time I get to touch you means I win."

Stella turned and bit her teeth into the fullness of her bottom lip. "I say we both win."

"No argument from me." His arms were already wrapping around her when he pressed a hungry kiss against her lips.


	11. Season 6 Ep 23 - The Grand Gesture

Season 6 x Ep 23

Along the back country roads they have those signs for Deer Crossing. The idea is that you'll slow down so that if a deer ventures across the road there's a chance you can swerve to avoid them. Save their innocent little lives from decorating the grill of your car and putting a huge dent in your deductible.

What they don't tell you is that some of those deer do it on purpose. They're killers. They want a piece of you and hope see your blood and guts littering the road.

Those deer always look like the sweetest things... Evil wrapped up in a pretty little package.

Yeah, well someone forgot to mount one of those Deer Cross-bones signs down at the courthouse.

Because, if they had, maybe Kelly Severide would have known better than to be the one driving down the road, minding his own damn business when one of those kill deer stopped in front of him, grabbed the sides of his head and planted a kiss on him in the courthouse.

With plenty of witnesses.

And all Kelly could do was wish he'd followed his gut when Renee showed up at House 51 and told her, "Thanks, but no thanks."

But here he was stuck, with Renee kissing him and holding on like he was the last thing between her and her worst nightmare.

"Mmm… hey." He took hold of her shoulders and held her in place as he stepped back.

A big enough step that he had to let her go to do it.

"What was that?"

He watched her face go through two or three different emotions as she searched for the words to answer his question.

Did he really need her to say something and try and placate him?

Not when the truth was plain to see in the way that her warm complexion paled under his gaze.

"What were you thinking?" Kelly tried to keep his voice level but there was a rising tide of anger inside of him.

"I was… celebrating our victory. Don't make too much out of this, Kelly."

"Don't make too much out of this? You just kissed me."

"It was just-"

"Was this… was this a plan from the beginning?" When she didn't deny it immediately he had his answer. "You came back to Chicago for a case that you knew I'd want to help with."

"You're the best, Kelly. That's why I came to you-"

"Ruggedly handsome." He heard the words in his head. "You were pushing my buttons the whole time. So this thing about meeting at your apartment. That was so I'd spend more time with Nicholas."

"You're a great role model, Kelly… you're great with kids… and I just knew Nicholas would love you. So yes, I wanted you to get to know each other. Why wouldn't I?"

As he listened to her talk he felt a knot develop in his middle. "And the other night, when you came to Molly's, when Nicholas was missing…"

He watched her complexion pale even more.

"That was just another button, wasn't it?"

She opened her mouth to answer and stammered instead.

"You've got to be kidding me." He hissed out a curse under his breath. "Stella knew what you were doing. She knew. And I told her you were just worried about your son." He felt a muscle tick in his jaw. "But that was just part of your plan, right? Put him in front of me, knowing I'd care about him and then pull something like that… for what?" He shook his head. "Twice you've used your child to try to get to me. Shay figure it out last time and Stella… she figured it out. She tried to warn me.

"I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt." He laughed. "And almost made a complete fool of myself… for what?"

She shook her head and reached out a hand to him. He stepped away again. "She tried to tell me to back off." Lifting her chin, she gave him a look. "Does she think she owns you? Can you really tell me that she's not worried about me being back in your life? And if she's that worried, Kelly. What does that say about the two of you?"

"It says," his tone was rough, tired, "that she read you better than I did. It says that she's worried about me. And I'm sorry she had a reason to be. You came here hoping to get something from me. Stella… Stella cares about me. She respects me… she loves me… and I'm not going to let you jeopardize what I have with her.

"I want you to understand something, Renee. You knew I'd help with your case because of what it meant for those firefighters. You know what I would do for any of us, but you underestimated me. Stella's my girlfriend, she the one I want."

"Kelly," she let out a nervous laugh and tried to wave off his anger, "I know that we are-"

"We," he shot back her, "aren't anything. Not now, not ever…" He took a step away and then turned back.

The look of hope on Renee's face shut the door on their past with a slam.

"From this moment on, I don't want to see you. I don't want to talk to you. I just want to put this… to put us so far behind me. I'm never going to think about you ever again."

"Kelly," he heard her heels on the marble floors, chasing after him, "Kelly wait. Hear me out."

"Sorry, Renee, I don't have the time." A smile softened the hard line of his lips. "I'm going to spend the rest of my day with Stella."


	12. Season 6 Ep 23 - Chicken Parm

Season 6 x 23 The Grand Gesture - Story 2 - Chicken Parm

A knock sounded at the door of the Blue Office. Kelly looked up from the list of questions he had in his hands. "What is it, Cruz?"

"Hey, Lieutenant, sorry to bother, but the guys were wondering if you're coming down to lunch."

Kelly looked up at the clock on the wall, he'd been holed away working on the trial with Renee for almost two hours. Blowing out a breath he looked at her. "We almost done?"

She shook her head. "We still have more questions to go over."

A knot formed in his stomach as he turned to Cruz. "I'm going to be awhile."

Cruz looked from Kelly to Renee and then back again. "Stella said there's plenty if Renee wants to stay for lunch."

Kelly wasn't sure but it sounded like Cruz was trying to hint at something, but before he could answer, Renee stepped in.

"That's really sweet," she smiled at Cruz, "could you bring us up a couple of plates?"

Cruz turned his startled gaze over at Kelly. "You're gonna eat up here?"

Turning to look at Renee, all he saw was the top of her head as she read over a document in her hands. He turned back to Cruz.

"I'll try to get downstairs, but-"

"Okay," Cruz shrugged. "Up to you, Lieutenant, but it's smelling so good down there you might have to fight off the rest of shift for a piece if you take too long."

Kelly heard the warning then and it set his back teeth grinding against each other. "Got it."

#

But then he didn't. Because by the time Renee was satisfied that they'd nailed down his testimony to counter every possible challenge, the kitchen and the common room were empty, except for Mouch in his usual spot in front of the TV.

"Oh," Renee said, sounding surprised, "looks like we missed lunch." There was barely a beat before she shrugged. "No problem, I can treat you to lunch. Where do you think, Chi Café?"

"I should stay here at the station in case we get a call."

"Come on," she smiled, "if there's a call I can drive you there."

"Um," he reached a hand up and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm the Lieutenant, Renee… if there's a call for Rescue I need to be there with them."

"Oh… okay," she gave him a half-smile and a soft look. "Sure, later then."

"Yeah," Kelly saw a shift of movement on the couch, "if you need something for the trial."

"Yeah," she repeated, "the trial."

She said something, but he didn't hear it, his eyes were moving around the room, looking for any sign that Stella was still around somewhere. "Look, I have to get back to work."

He saw her walk toward the Equipment floor and he turned back to the kitchen area, looking down both hallways leading away from the area. When he was just about to walk away, he heard Mouch's voice from the couch. "Severide?"

A bit frustrated at the delay, Kelly's voice held more that a little edge to it. "Mouch? You need something?"

"Me?" He heard the older man's chuckle and it pinched a nerve between Kelly's shoulder blades. "I was just wondering if you were looking for something. If you were," Mouch shrugged, "maybe I could help you find it."

"I was just looking for-"

"Lunch?" Mouch leaned an arm on the back of the couch. "Stella left a plate for you, covered and ready to reheat in the microwave."

Kelly shook his head. _Shit._

"Thanks, Mouch, I'll get it in a bit. Do you know where Stella is?"

Mouch considered the question, but based on the narrowed look of his eyes, Kelly guessed he was just giving him a hard time about it. He didn't blame Mouch one bit.

"I need to apologize, Mouch."

The man's mouth pinched up in a smug grin. "That you do, Severide, that you do." He only waited a heartbeat to continue on. "Last I heard she was in the Turnout room going through the equipment."

#

Halfway through her inspection, Stella stopped. The Turnout Room was blissfully quiet and half dark with the fluorescent lights off. Standing with one shoulder tucked into the shadows, she closed her eyes and let out a long pent-up breath.

 _Calm down_ , she told herself. _Relax_. _It's just the case_.

Just the case and whopper of a past together. That's what was getting to her. That and what Severide's mother said to her. _The women… don't give up on him_ … But she'd said, _the women_.

Stella shook her head and blinked her eyes a few times, trying to push back the tears. _I'm not like this,_ she told herself. _I'm not weak. I'm not going to let this get to me_.

And then she swayed and only a hastily raised arm caught the wall behind the rack and kept her on her feet.

"I can't compete." The words were out before she could stop herself.

"Hey," she felt a hand on her hip and she tensed, "you don't have to."

The sound of Kelly's voice made everything worse and better at the same time. She couldn't manage a word. She couldn't even find anything to say.

Now he had his hands on her hips, holding her gently in place as he moved closer. Close enough that she felt his breath on the back of her neck. "Stella, I'm sorry about lunch."

She shook her head. "It's not a big deal. I saved you a-"

"I know, but I'm not talking about that."

She went still, trying to hold back every single insecure thought that had picked that very moment to rear their ugly heads. She hated feeling like this. It wasn't who she was- who she wanted to be.

"Stella," she felt her name on her skin as Kelly's lips trailed a kiss along her neck, "baby, I'm sorry."

Words failed her, all she could do was feel as one hand slid around to smooth over her stomach as he stepped into her, against her.

She felt like she was melting into him as he lifted his other hand and pinched the zipper pull on her jacket, opening it in one long movement.

He untucked her shirt, placing his palm on her bare midriff, a fingertip skimming the waist of her leggings. When his other hand tugged up the hem of her shirt further, she gasped in a breath, holding stock still as he slid his hand higher.

She managed a single word as his fingers nudged the bottom elastic band of her bra. "Door."

His teeth grazed the shell over her ear and she leaned back against him.

"Locked."

She swore she could feel his smile. She had a thought to turn around and talk, but his hand on her middle slid lower and she let everything go.


	13. Ep 19: Where I Want to Be - NSFW

Episode: 19 Where I Want to Be

NSFW = Not Safe for Work - if you're uncomfortable with some graphic imagery of intimacy... this is NOT the story for you...

"Not fair," Stella managed the words between kisses, one hand cradling the back of Severide's head and the other tugging at the side of his shirt.

He turned his head slightly, rubbing his cheek against hers as his lips sought out her earlobe. "What's not fair?"

She parted her lips to reply and ended up taking in a gasp of surprise as Severide's fingers slipped between her thighs.

He watched her throat work and grinned down at her as he curled his fingers and swept them through her heat.

Still no words, but he heard the soft feminine groan that he'd coaxed from her throat.

"Haven't figure it out yet?" He pressed his lips to the tip of her nose and nudged her thighs further apart. "I'll just keep going and you tell me when you figure it out."

He moved back on the bed, knowing his knees were about to slide off the edge, but he didn't worry about it. He was resourceful. He'd make it work.

Kelly kissed his way from her shoulder over her collarbone as his fingers twisted and stretched inside of her.

He loved the way she moved restlessly under him, the soft morning sunlight illuminating the rich cinnamon color of her skin.

When his lips closed over the tight berry of her nipple he felt her fingertips claw into his sides.

"Shirt."

He lifted his head. "What?"

Stella arched against him, her heel hooking around the back of his calf, her breast brushing against his lips. "Shirt." She gave the t-shirt another tug and moaned. "Off."

His laughter mingled with her frustrated huff. "You're bossy."

Still, he helped her tug his shirt free of his waistband, but he lost sight of it when Stella flung it behind him.

"You're the one who wanted to play before we left." She took hold of his hand and set it between her legs, and arched her back with pleasure when he stretched his fingers back inside of her. "Besides," she shivered with a tremor as his lips brushed the curve of her breast, "you like it when I'm bossy."

He didn't argue… not when there were better things to do with his mouth and given the sounds rasping from her throat, she was happy with his choice.

She moved her hands over him, his shoulders, his arms, felt the soft brush of his hair against her palms. It never seemed to be enough for her. Touching Kelly, kissing him, swallowing him whole… it was never enough… she couldn't seem to get him deep enough inside of her. He knew how to make her shudder and scream… he turned her inside out and knew how to leave her boneless and sore in all the right ways.

And she always wanted more.

"Oh," she felt the wet heat of his mouth close over the peak of her breast and she clung to him, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she felt his thumb sweep through her heat and rub… right… there.

It was like lightning, pure electricity, arcing through her body, skipping from one oh-so-sensitive spot to another.

She couldn't do much more than feel and need. Her hands moved over his skin, took hold of the sides of his face, and held him still as she kissed him.

As she devoured him.

And rode out the wave after wave of bliss.

All she wanted to do was fall bonelessly back against her bed, but Kelly had other ideas.

Placing a quick kiss against her lips he gave her wink. "Come on, Stella… time to go."

He grabbed some clothes out of her dresser and crouched down near her feet as she leaned against the doorframe. Holding her panties for her, he watched her lift one leg and then the other, managing to find her way into the garment with a languid sigh.

He pulled them up, pausing to press a kiss on her belly. "Come on, Stella."

He reached for the pants he'd draped over his thigh and shook them put before rolling up a leg. "You're going to make me dress you, aren't you?"

She managed to put one foot in and then met his eyes. "It wasn't my idea to make me weak in the knees with less than an hour to get to work."

Kelly shook his head as he all but wrestled her other leg into her pants and quickly pulled it up.

He groaned as he caught a peek of her backside in the glass of the framed print in the hallway. "It's a shame to cover that backside."

"Then don't." When he leaned back he saw the spark of mischief in her eyes. "Let's call furlough and you can finish up."

He looked up from where he was fastening her bra together and gave her a curious stare. "I pretty sure you did… um, finish."

She drew in a long breath. "Did I now?"

A real look of confusion played across his features. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you did. I felt it all over my hand."

She pressed a kiss to his lips and pulled back, reaching for her shirt that he had draped over his shoulder. With a few efficient movements she had the shirt on. "Sure yeah, I guess, but there's a vast difference between your extremely talented fingers and your-"

His lips fastened to hers and he stepped closer until every inch of their bodies from knees to chests were pressed tightly together.

Severide heard a soft beep from his phone. "We've got to go, babe."

"Nope," she shook her head and pressed a kiss to his neck, "not gonna."

A soft frustrated groan escaped his lips. "Come on, Stell. You can put your boots on in the car."

She shook her head. "I'll never make it to the car… my knees-"

"Stella."

"You like me on my knees-"

"Fuck me."

Her head tilted to the side and she tried to work a hand in between them. "Okay, Lieutenant. I don't want to be insubordinate-"

He grabbed at her wrist. "Stella, come-"

"Yes, sir."

"No, Stella, stop."

She stepped back. "You don't say 'that' often."

Kelly shook his head. "I hope you don't need anything in that bag of yours."

A line creased between her brows. "What?"

"Grab your boots."

He knew he had her off her game when she reached down and picked up her boots with one hand.

Before she completely straightened, he leaned over and draped her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"What?"

He wrapped his arm around her back and fished for his keys from his pocket. "We're going to work."

By the time he'd made it to the parking lot, they'd passed by half a dozen people in the halls of their building and a couple of mothers out walking with strollers stopped to smile as Kelly put Stella in the passenger seat and buckled her in.

As Kelly drove toward 51 he kept an eye on the dashboard clock. "You done with your boots yet?"

"You're just being mean now," she huffed and yanked a little too hard on her laces before she sat back in her seat and folded her arms over her chest.

"We can't be late, Stella. Chief doesn't give us a hassle about being together because we keep the drama out of the House."

She gave him a side-eyed look. "So drama doesn't include you pushing me up against the wall in the Turnout Room and make me beg?"

"You're trying to get me off topic."

"No," she argued, "I was trying to get you _off_ back at the apartment."

He groaned and laid his head against the headrest as he pushed the gas pedal to get them through a yellow light.

Stella heard another beep and tilted her head to the side to see down the street.

"Kelly, stop… right there… pull over," she pointed to a small opening that was more alley than street.

"Stella-"

"Now! Turn!"

Turning the wheel, Kelly pulled in and stepped on the brake when he realized they weren't on a street at all, but the back alley of a bar that had closed down a few weeks ago. The area was shrouded in early morning shadows and completely blocked on three sides.

"Why did you say-"

"Shhh…"

He saw the top of her head and felt her hands tug at his belt. "Stella, we can't-"

"Shhh…"

"Stella, we don't have time-"

He sucked in a breath as her hand tugged his zipper down in a heartbeat. Kelly opened his mouth to argue and suddenly found himself unable to think, let alone breathe.

Unknowingly, he'd thrown down the gauntlet to his beautiful, talented, and extremely creative girlfriend.

By the time the fireworks exploded against the dark backdrop of the inside of his eye lids, he heard her pull his zipper back into place and lean back into the leather passenger seat of his car.

"We can make it if we go now," she told him.

And she was right. It was five seconds to the start of shift when Severide stumbled into the meeting room behind Stella.


	14. Season 6 Ep 6 - Breakfast

Episode – Down is Better

Morning before her first day at the PR Office

Stella looked in the mirror and tried on a smile.

 _Pathetic._

Her regulation white button-down uniform shirt looked like a hospital sheet on her. She was pale, washed out-

Oh, that wasn't a good thought.

How long would it take sitting at a desk before she lost her edge? Her instincts?

She looked down and saw the horrifying truth of it all. She'd likely lost her edge already. If they were putting her behind a desk, what did that mean for her? How bad did the CFD think she was?

The ache in her heart worked down and gave her an ache in her stomach as well.

It wasn't all that long ago that she'd moved to Fifty-One. A little over a year. And in that time, she'd finally felt like she'd found her footing. She had a crew that she fit in with like never before. She had friends in the house that she could count on… and better yet, counted on her.

And now, she was starting all over again.

Like everything she'd worked for… accomplished… was wiped clean.

Her phone chimed, and she blew out a breath. "Better get a move on. Can't be late on the first day." She picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. "The first day of the end of my career."

Closing her door, she walked down the hallway and stopped short. "Hey…"

Kelly Severide was leaning against the front door with a knowing smile on his face. "Hey."

Stella felt her breath catch in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak and nothing came out.

Folding his arms across his chest, Kelly cleared his throat. "Going somewhere?"

She gestured at the door. "It's my first day at the Public Relations Office."

"Okay."

His answer was nonchalant and still he continued to stand there, blocking the door.

"So… are you going to move?"

He shrugged. "Eventually."

His smile, coupled with the frustration left over from the night at Molly's and his rejection, had her temper on the edge. She tilted her head to the side and bit the inside of her lip. "What does that mean?"

Shifting so that he was on both feet, he moved away from the door and toward her.

Stella started to step back, but he closed the distance between them and hooked his thumb around the strap from her backpack and pulled it off of her shoulder and down her arm.

There was no way she could ignore how close he came to her or how good he smelled this early in the morning.

Okay, so he smelled amazing all the time, but so rarely got to enjoy it up close and personal.

He continued past her and all she could do was follow him, since he had her backpack.

Before she knew it, Kelly was setting her bag down in an empty chair at the table. "Hey, I need that."

He shook his head. "What you need," he gave her a secretive smile, "is breakfast." Kelly reached out and pulled a chair away from the table.

Stella looked at the surface of the table and felt her mouth water. Fresh fruit, bacon, eggs, orange juice. "I… I was going to drive thru-"

"Now, you don't have to."

She nodded and reached for a chair, but stopped short when he cleared his throat. "What?"

Kelly tapped the back of the chair he'd pulled out. "Your seat."

She paused. "Mine?"

He shook his head. "It's where you sit."

He was right, but he'd never pulled out her chair before.

Still, if Kelly Severide was planning on being a gentleman, she wasn't going to let it go to waste. Rounding the table, she eased herself onto the chair, and swallowed hard when he touched her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

By the time she was able to breathe again, Kelly was sitting in his own chair across from her. "Thought you'd like a good breakfast, since I doubt the Public Relations Office has a kitchen."

Her mouth curve in a gentle smile. "At least I won't have to do KP at the office."

Silence descended between them and she picked up her fork, feeling the weight in her hand. Spearing a cantaloupe piece, she lifted it an inch or so before she looked across the table and caught Kelly watching her.

"It's going to be really different without you at the House."

Stella shook her head. "Quiet, you mean."

Kelly gave her a pointed look. "No, I mean different. Everyone's going to miss you."

She swallowed the small bite of fruit and bit into her bottom lip before managing to speak. "I'm going to miss everyone," she blew out a breath, "a lot. I feel like I'm being punished for something. I just wish I knew what it was." She felt her mood begin to slip.

"I talked to Casey last night," he set down his glass of orange juice and leaned his forearm against the edge of the table, "he's still working on getting you back at Fifty-One. The Chief too. Don't get too comfortable behind a desk."

She heard his laughing tone and tried to rise to the occasion, but she couldn't quite do it. "Oh, I'll never get comfortable behind that desk. I know that, and I haven't even seen the desk." She picked at the eggs he'd made her and she felt even worse for messing up what he'd taken the time to make for her. "Thanks." She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and worried at it a little.

He laid down his fork and focused his gaze on her face. "For breakfast?"

She shrugged. "Yes. And for trying to make me feel better about all of this. You didn't have to."

"I know," he picked up his fork again, "but you already packed a lunch, and this was the next best thing. Don't expect this every morning. I still have my twenty-four hour shift while you just have an eight hour day. So maybe you'll make me breakfast once in a while."

His smile. Stella marveled at the way he seemed to be able to tease and comfort her at the same time.

"You think I'm going to make you breakfast?" A teasing twist of her lips stopped almost at a laugh. "If you want breakfast bars and coffee, I think I can manage it."

"I think you can do better," he shot back, "you're just setting the bar low."

Stella looked at the table between them. "Maybe you just set the bar really high, Kelly Severide." And the words were true. Too true.

"Well, that's good to hear." He picked up a piece of bacon and bit off the end. "I like to be good at what I do."

Whoa. Yeah. Why did her thoughts shoot right back to the night after Molly's, her lips on his once, twice… touching him and having him to herself for just that moment.

He was right. He was good. Good at everything he put his mind to… including letting her down… setting her back away from him… making rejection as easy as it could be between them.

With all of their history.

With their lack of a future.

But hey, at least they were friends.

At least… every once in awhile she got breakfast out of the deal. Right?

Almost as if they had come to an agreement, the two ate their breakfasts with a minimum of conversation, keeping to topics that had nothing to do with the CFD. Blackhawks were always a safe bet since they both liked the same players, grumbled about the same plays.

But before she was ready for it, her phone chimed again. If she was going to make it to the main CFD building on time, she was going to have to get a move on.

Standing, she grabbed the edge of her plate.

"Leave it." Kelly shook his head. "I've got a little more time. I'll take care of the dishes."

Nodding, Stella reached out and picked up her backpack. "Kelly," he looked up at her, his face a strange mix of emotions that she didn't even want to begin to name, "thanks for this."

"For breakfast? No big deal."

But it was.

It was a big deal.

Because if she couldn't love Kelly Severide out loud, she was going to love him inside. And these moments? Well, it was going to be enough.

For now.

Because it was what she 'could' have.

"It was a big deal to me, Kelly. So, thanks." She made her way to the door and opened it up, pausing only at the last minute to look back and give him a real, heartfelt smile. "Stay safe, okay?"

He nodded. "Sure. You know me."

"I do." She shook her head. "That's why I said it."

And then she was out.

In the hallway.

Determined to make this work until she could make it back home.


End file.
